


West of the Moon, East of the Sun

by Witty_Name_Here



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Romance, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, First Meetings, First SGA fanfic, Gen, Languages and Linguistics, Mutual Pining, No beta we ascend like the Ancients, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Tags Contain Spoilers, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:47:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29548158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Witty_Name_Here/pseuds/Witty_Name_Here
Summary: Keziah (Kezzie) Woolsey is a simple student with a love of languages working on her Ph.D. in Philology at UCLA. When her idol, Dr. Daniel Jackson guest lectures one of her classes, Kezzie's life will change in ways she isn't able to anticipate. What happens when she joins the Atlantis expedition as the resident translator?~~~~~Kezzie stared at Daniel with wide eyes, speechless. "Wait—you're serious?""You're not?" Daniel asked, his blue eyes studying her quizzically."No, er, yeah," Kezzie stammered. "Dammit, I don't know.""For someone who knows over twenty languages, one would think you'd be more eloquent," Daniel quipped."Meni tishla," Kezzie replied automatically, grumbling under her breath as she crossed her arms over her chest."Avval sen," Daniel replied, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. His grin broadened as high color flooded Kezzie's cheeks, and she avoided his eyes."Sorry," Kezzie murmured, still refusing to look at Daniel. How could she have forgotten that Uzbek is one of the many languages he could speak and understand?"It's fine," Daniel said, shrugging it off with a slight smile. "But, just for that, you have to agree to let me recommend you."
Relationships: Carson Beckett & Original Female Character(s), Elizabeth Weir & Other(s), John Sheppard & Original Female Character(s), Rodney McKay & Original Female Character(s), Ronon Dex/Original Female Character(s), Teyla Emmagen & Original Female Characters
Comments: 8
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

Kezzie stepped into the lecture hall, glancing around the open space quickly as she made her way toward a table in the center of the room. The familiar sight of freshly washed blackboards and shiny waxed floor brought her a sense of purpose and peace. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of wood polish and chalk dust as she dropped her bag to the floor and settled herself into a seat. The start of a new term was always nerve-wracking, and this one was no exception. If Kezzie was lucky, this term would be her last. After two grueling years, all that stood between her and a doctorate degree in Philology was this course and her dissertation defense. 

Oliver Jones—Kezzie's on-again, off-again boyfriend since her sophomore year at UCLA and Professor Clark's teaching assistant—winked at her from the front of the room before turning and pulling the cord to extend the projector screen. Kezzie lowered her gaze, trying not to draw attention to herself. The last thing she needed was people thinking she only got her Ph.D. because she was sleeping with a TA. How many times had she told Oliver to not do something like that in public? 

Several minutes passed, and Kezzie was still ruminating on whether being in a relationship with Oliver this term was a good idea when Professor Clark entered the room and stood at the lectern organizing his lecture notes. A hushed silence fell across the lecture hall when he cleared his throat and began to speak. 

"Good morning students," he said. His voice was rich and smooth, reminding Kezzie of honey. The half-full lecture hall murmured a response, and Professor Clark flashed a smile. "I see we aren't awake yet. Well, hopefully the surprise I have in store for you will jolt you wide awake."

He paused, glancing directly at Kezzie with a knowing look before motioning to Oliver to turn on the projector. Kezzie wondered for a moment why the Professor had looked straight at her but promptly forgot all about it when the screen sharpened, revealing several rows of lettering that looked Ancient Latin in nature. Kezzie knew immediately it wasn't Ancient Latin but another language entirely. Her pulse quickened with anticipation the same way a bungee jumper might get excited before a jump as she set to work, attempting to translate the symbols on the screen. 

Kezzie was so lost in concentration she almost didn't hear Professor Clark announce the guest lecturer. "As much as I know you all _love_ language puzzles, that is not the surprise I was talking about," he said. A titter of amusement rippled through the lecture hall as Professor Clark continued. "We have a very special guest lecturer this month. It is my honor and pleasure to introduce Dr. Daniel Jackson."

Sharp gasps of surprise and awe echoed through the lecture hall, and Kezzie snapped her head up from the page where she'd been furiously scribbling notes and possible translations. _Dr. Daniel Jackson was here?_ Kezzie had been obsessed with his work since she first learned how to read, and she'd made it her life's mission to learn to speak, read, and write as many languages as he did. 

Her breath caught in her throat as Dr. Jackson approached the lectern, his round-rimmed glasses perched high on his straight nose. His hair was slightly shaggy, and his piercing blue eyes scanned the room as though looking for something—or someone. "Good morning," Daniel said with a polite smile. 

Stunned silence filled the lecture hall, and Daniel chuckled lightly. "I guess they really should give out free espresso for the eight a.m. classes." 

That got a few snorts of approval, and Daniel flashed a brilliantly white smile half-turning to gesture toward the projector screen. "Today we're going to be discussing dead languages and how they failed to adapt over time. Take this language for example. Can anyone tell me what language it is?"

Kezzie glanced around the room before raising her hand shyly. She always hated being the smartest person in the room, but she couldn't help it. Too bad it didn't win her many friends. They either thought she knew it all—or they wanted to copy her homework, and Kezzie didn't have time for either. 

"Yes?" Daniel said, gesturing toward her. Kezzie blushed slightly as he stared at her, and she cleared her throat before answering. 

"It looks like a little known dialect of Ancient Latin, although I'm not a hundred percent sure about that," Kezzie said, lowering her gaze to her notebook. "If I translated it correctly, it says 'the very young don't always do as they're told." 

There was a chorus of groans and other students grumbling as Daniel regarded her with a quizzical look before responding. "Very good—"

"Keziah," Kezzie finished for him. "Keziah Woolsey. My friends call me Kezzie." Recognition flashed in Daniel's eyes before disappearing so quickly Kezzie wasn't sure she saw it.

"What friends?" Someone snorted from a few rows behind Kezzie, sending titters of laughter through the lecture hall. 

Kezzie pressed her lips together and sank low in her seat, determined to ignore the jab. She'd recognized the voice instantly, but she refused to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. Daniel narrowed his eyes, glaring in the direction of the comment, silencing the laughter without a single word. 

"You are absolutely correct," Daniel said, softening his gaze as he returned his attention to Kezzie. "How did you manage to translate it so quickly?"

"Ah, well—" Kezzie stammered, running a hand across the back of her neck. "I'm, uh, kind of a polyglot. Languages come pretty easy to me."

"Yeah," came the voice from the back of the room again, "little miss I know everything over there speaks, reads, and writes 21 languages. How can us mere mortals ever compare?" 

Daniel glared at the back of the room once more, then looked at Kezzie with interest. "Is that true?" Kezzie nodded, her cheeks flooding with color. God, she hated being the center of attention. Her classmates made her life difficult enough—she'd never recover from this.

Daniel grinned at her again, and Kezzie thought she might die right in that spot. "That's quite an accomplishment. I can speak, read, and write 23 languages myself."

"I know," Kezzie said, avoiding Daniel's gaze. _You're the reason I started learning languages_ , she thought. 

The lecture continued without further incident, and once it ended, Kezzie bolted from the lecture hall without a backward glance. Dr. Jackson might have been her idol, but she wasn't about to stick around and be humiliated by her classmates again. She ran all the way back to her dorm room, slamming the door behind her and throwing herself face-first across the narrow bed. Her phone buzzed in her back pocket, and she pulled it out, staring at it blankly. 

It was a text from Oliver, and Kezzie dismissed the notification without reading it. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now, especially not him. He'd apologize profusely for his ex-girlfriend's bitchy behavior and promise it wouldn't happen again. Kezzie sighed, rolling onto her back and staring at the ceiling. If only she were— _anyone_ else, maybe she wouldn't feel so out of place no matter where she was. Smart people were supposed to be right at home in academia, right? So, what the hell was wrong with her? 

Kezzie sat up, leaning back against the wall and reaching for her bookbag. She spread her lecture notes around her, getting lost in the wonders of Daniel's insights about the Ancient Latin dialect he'd referred to multiple times throughout the two-hour class. Something wasn't sitting right with her, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was just yet. 

Kezzie lost track of time as she scribbled notes onto her dissertation research, barely noticing the knock at the door. A few seconds later, the knock came again. "Go away," Kezzie said, not moving to answer the door. "I'm not writing your research paper, Cory."

"Kezzie," came a muffled voice through the door. "It's Daniel Jackson."

Kezzie's heart skipped, then slammed into her throat. What the hell was Dr. Jackson doing at her door? "Oh, uh—just a second," she called back, closing her pen between the pages of a well-worn copy of "What Happened to the Ancient Languages?" She pasted a plastic smile on her face as she opened the door, coming face to face with Dr. Jackson.

"Hi," Daniel said, flashing Kezzie a lopsided smile. She forced herself to breathe, swallowing hard. 

"Hi," Kezzie replied, sounding more breathless than she wanted. She opened the door wider, standing to the side. "Come in, please."

Daniel stepped inside the room, glancing around with curious eyes. He stifled a smile at the sight of his book in the middle of Kezzie's bed, surrounded by research notes. Kezzie closed the door behind them, then turned and crossed her arms over her chest. "So, what can I do for you, Dr. Jackson?"

"Please," he said, tearing his eyes away from the book cover and glancing at her, "call me Daniel."

"Okay," Kezzie said, brushing past Daniel to sit on the edge of her bed. "Regardless of what I call you, the question is the same, Daniel. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I do have a question for you," Daniel said, gesturing toward Kezzie's desk chair in question. She nodded, gesturing for him to have a seat. "Are you related to Richard Woolsey?"

Kezzie shifted uncomfortably on the bed. She was certain Daniel had recognized her name during the lecture, and his question only confirmed it. "Yes," she said, not willing to elaborate. It really wasn't anyone's business that Richard was her uncle or that her father was an Air Force Brigadier General currently stationed in some top-secret base somewhere. She hadn't seen him in six years, not since she graduated with dual Bachelor's degrees in Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering, and informed him that she hated both fields and wanted to pursue her true passion, language. 

Daniel chuckled, immediately understanding her silence. "I know Richard," he said helpfully, "we've worked together on a few projects."

"He's my uncle," Kezzie replied, her tone resigned. "He's some big shot in Washington. I haven't seen him in a couple of years. We talk quite a bit though."

Daniel nodded, twisting his fingers as he searched for the correct words. "I can't say too much because it's classified, but how would you feel about being recommended for a special program that is in desperate need of people with your language skills?"

Kezzie tilted her head, regarding Daniel with a puzzled expression. "I don't understand. I'm not military, not anymore anyway. I did my four year tour and got out. I have no desire to re-enlist."

Daniel shook his head. "I'm not talking about re-enlisting, Kezzie. I'm part of an exploratory expedition that is both civilian and military in nature. I think you'd be an excellent addition to the program, but before I recommend you, I want to know if you'd be interested."

"I don't know," Kezzie shrugged. "I'm so close to finishing my PhD and I don't want to put that on hold. I just have this one class and my dissertation defense."

"You could easily test out of this class and you know it," Daniel said mildly. Kezzie grinned, lowering her gaze to the tiled floor.

"I know," she said, shrugging one shoulder. "Why do you think I saved it for last?" 

Daniel laughed a rich sound that made Kezzie smile back at him. "You sound like me," he said, shaking his head. "So," he nodded his head toward the scattered books and notes on the bed, "how close are you to finishing?"

Kezzie glanced at her research, her face brightening. "Well, I'm 98% done, I'm just stuck on this one thing," she said, reaching for the book and opening it to the page where her pen was wedged. 

"Maybe I can help," Daniel said, his eyes glinting with humor. Kezzie chuckled, shaking her head as she pointed to the page. 

"I certainly hope so," Kezzie teased, waving him closer. Daniel and Kezzie debated back and forth over her research for the next three hours, finally agreeing to disagree on a single point of Kezzie's research.

"So," Daniel said finally, "do you think you might be interested in my recommendation for the new program?"

Kezzie nearly choked on the sip of water she was drinking. "I'm not sure. It would help if I knew _what_ the program was."

"I know," Daniel replied, "but you know how the government works. Without clearance, I can't tell you any more than I already have. But, I'm sure if you passed a background check you could visit the base and see for yourself."

Kezzie rolled her eyes and sighed. "Daniel, my father is an Air Force Brigadier General. Of course I can pass a background check."

"So is that a yes?"

"On one condition," Kezzie replied. _There's no way he's going to agree to this,_ she thought. _At least it means I won't have to join some nonexistent branch of the government._

"What is it?" Daniel asked, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Help me finish my research so I can present my defense and graduate early. I'm sure I'm only desirable to this program if I actually _possess_ a PhD in Philology," Kezzie said. 

"You want _me_ to be your dissertation advisor?" Daniel asked, his brows disappearing under his shaggy hair. "Don't you already have one of those?"

"Just Professor Clark," Kezzie said with a shrug. "He's advising three other students too. I'm sure he won't mind that I found someone else."

"Alright then," Daniel replied. "I'll do it, because you're going to be a tremendous asset to the program."

Kezzie stared at Daniel with wide eyes, speechless. "Wait—you're serious?"

"You're not?" Daniel asked, his blue eyes studying her quizzically.

"No, er, yeah," Kezzie stammered. "Dammit, I don't know."

"For someone who knows over twenty languages, one would think you'd be more eloquent," Daniel quipped.

"Meni tishla," Kezzie replied automatically, grumbling under her breath as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Avval sen," Daniel replied, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. His grin broadened as high color flooded Kezzie's cheeks, and she avoided his eyes. 

"Sorry," Kezzie murmured, still refusing to look at Daniel. How could she have forgotten that Uzbek is one of the many languages he could speak and understand?

"It's fine," Daniel said, shrugging it off with a slight smile. "But, just for that, you have to agree to let me recommend you."

"Fine," Kezzie grumbled, not seeing any other way around it now. "Can we get back to work then?" Daniel nodded, chuckling softly and gloating internally at the win. Oh yes, Kezzie Woolsey would make an excellent addition to the Atlantis expedition. With a bit of luck and a whole lot of patience, Daniel hoped that Kezzie might even help temper some of the more abrasive members of the expedition. Once they made the trip through the gate, Dr. Weir would need all the help she could get. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _meni tishla_ \- Bite me  
>  _avval sen_ \- You first
> 
> This language is called Uzbek, and according to Britannica.com it is a language in the Turkic family, spoken by 27 million native speakers and it is the only official language of Uzbekistan. It is the second most widely spoken Turkic language, after Turkish.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Three Months Later** _

"That is absolutely not true," Kezzie insisted, tossing a piece of popcorn into the air and catching it in her mouth. "The Hulk would not win in a fight against Superman, I don't care what alternate universe you're talking about."

Daniel laughed, leaning back in his chair and studying Kezzie. He found himself doing that quite a bit lately, especially now that she had finished her dissertation. Over the last three months, Daniel watched Kezzie become more animated and comfortable in her own skin. Despite his best effort, it still never ceased to amaze him how much she'd grown in the short time he'd known her. 

"What?" Kezzie asked, frowning at Daniel suspiciously as she set the popcorn bowl on the low coffee table in front of her. "You're looking at me funny. Do I have something on my face?"

Daniel chuckled and shook his head. "No. It's nothing like that. It's just—you're defending your dissertation tomorrow. Are you excited?"

"Petrified is more the word I'd use," Kezzie said, folding her hands in her lap and staring at them as though they held all the secrets of the universe. "I'm not too worried about my dissertation defense, to be honest. I'm more worried about what comes after. I mean, I still haven't told Ollie I'm leaving."

"Why not?" Daniel asked, tilting his head slightly as he waited for an answer. Kezzie shrugged, avoiding his gaze.

"Dunno," she said, crossing her legs on the couch and tucking her feet beneath her. "I guess I didn't want to explain something that I really can't explain. Knowing almost two dozen languages doesn't help when you're not allowed to talk about what you're going to be doing, you know?"

"I get it," Daniel said. "Are you having second thoughts, Kez?"

"No," Kezzie said, her tight ringlets bouncing as she shook her head. She loathed being called 'Kez,' but she wasn't about to tell Daniel that. "It's not that. It's just that I haven't spoken to my father in years, and I only talk to my uncle every few months. There's no one to miss me when I'm gone other than Ollie—and he will forget about me within weeks. It's just slightly depressing, that's all."

"I thought you and Oliver—" Daniel started, his voice trailing off.

"Ollie and I are complicated," Kezzie said in a tone that didn't invite discussion. "We are a lot of things, but we're not star-crossed lovers or anything. Comfortable?—sure. Convenient?—most definitely. If our relationship crosses over into the 'heavy' territory, it gets put on pause to be picked up again later, like a comfortable pair of shoes."

"That's not love," Daniel said quietly as he thought about his late wife. Kezzie nodded in agreement, surprising him.

"I know that," she said with a soft sigh, "we both do. It's just—well, it's kinda hard to find someone to love when I'm about to move to some top-secret, god-forsaken military base for the next year. I'm sure I'll have time for that later." 

"Maybe," Daniel said in a cryptic tone. "But why keep going back to something that clearly isn't fulfilling?"

"Were you not paying attention the first day you guest lectured Professor Clark's course? That's how everyone treats me—all the time. Even Ollie gets annoyed with me at times, and the only reason they stopped acting like I'm some sort of alien being sent here to steal all their thunder is because of you," Kezzie snapped, feeling the familiar sting of tears on the back of her eyelids.

"Does it really matter what they think?"

Kezzie took a deep breath before answering. "I suppose not, but it's human nature to want to be accepted, I think. I'm used to it, but that doesn't mean that it's not lonely."

"I suppose that makes sense," Daniel replied, sighing as he got to his feet. "I should probably get going, you have a big day tomorrow." Kezzie nodded, avoiding Daniel's gaze. "Hey," he said, his voice gentle and reassuring, "you're going to do great. I'm gonna be there cheering you on."

Kezzie flashed an involuntary smile and shook her head before lifting her gaze to meet his. "Have I thanked you lately for helping me with this?"

"Not even once today. I'm so disappointed in you, Kez." Daniel grinned at her. She rolled her eyes back at him in response to both his sarcasm and the shortened form of her name. "I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Kezzie said, waving at Daniel as he left the room. She gathered up her bookbag and bag of popcorn and headed back to her room, although she wasn't entirely sure why. She never slept well before huge presentations, and tonight would be no exception. 

Back in her room, Kezzie dropped her bookbag, then flopped across her bed and stared at the ceiling for several minutes, going through her mental checklist for the next day. She was so lost in thought she almost didn't notice her phone vibrating in her back pocket. Kezzie fished it out from under her and glanced at the caller ID before answering quickly.

"Hey Ollie," Kezzie said, sounding guilty as she felt. She'd put off talking to him about her agreement with Daniel to join the top-secret program after she finished her degree, and now it seemed she had no choice.

"Is it true?" Oliver demanded without any greeting. "Don't lie to me, Kezzie."

"Is what true?" Kezzie shot back, frowning as she sat up on her bed. "What the hell are you talking about, Ollie?" There was silence on the other end of the line, long enough for Kezzie to pull the phone away from her ear to see if the call disconnected. 

"Are you sleeping with him?" Oliver said in a low voice, tinged with hurt. "Dr. Jackson."

Kezzie choked, coughing hard as she tried to regain her composure. "Seriously? Not that it's _any_ of your business, but no. Daniel and I are not having sex, Oliver. He's my dissertation advisor and my friend, nothing more."

"Well, Caroline said—" White-hot rage exploded behind Kezzie's closed eyes as she cut Oliver off mid-sentence.

" _Caroline?!_ " Kezzie almost shrieked, tightening her grip on the phone. "You mean your ex girlfriend who hates me and who you've undoubtedly been screwing the last three months because you didn't have _my_ undivided attention?" She sighed, counting to three in her head before she continued. "I don't care what she says Ollie, Daniel and I are not sleeping together. But there is something I need to tell you."

"What?" Oliver said slowly. Kezzie noticed he didn't deny screwing Caroline, but she chose to ignore it. It didn't really matter anyway because this was it—the end of everything Kezzie and Ollie. The thought should have made her sad, and Kezzie told herself that it did, but deep down, she knew better. She didn't love Oliver, and this only gave her concrete evidence of the truth.

"Daniel—Dr. Jackson I mean, offered me a position as a translator on a top-secret project the government is starting, and I agreed. I'm leaving right after my dissertation is complete, and I'll be gone at least a year." The line went dead silent, and Kezzie counted the seconds as she waited for Oliver's response.

"How long have you known you were leaving?" Oliver said in a small voice. He sounded angry, and Kezzie flinched involuntarily. 

"Three months," she said, her guilt seeping through the connection like slow-moving poison. "Daniel and I made a deal. I would join this program if he agreed to be my dissertation advisor. I didn't expect him to agree in a million years, but he did, so here we are."

"I can't believe this," Oliver growled. "You should've told me sooner, Kezzie. It's a good thing I didn't wait for you to make up your mind about us. You're right, I have been seeing Caroline. At least she acknowledges my existence outside of term breaks."

"Well, I hope the two of you get married and have a half a dozen rugrats," Kezzie snapped, angry with herself more than Oliver. "What do you want me to say, Ollie? That I'm sorry? I am. But we both know what we have isn't love, and life is too short for anything else. I wish you all the happiness in the world, I mean that."

"No," Oliver murmured through the phone. "That's where you are wrong, Kezzie. I loved you. I've always loved you. It was you who didn't love me—and now it's too late. Have a nice life."

The line went dead. Kezzie sighed, pressing the top of her phone into her forehead. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't feel wrong about anything she'd said or done to Ollie over the years. They had both done such horrible things and hurt each other beyond what an average couple might, and still they ended up together; like heroin addicts that just can't seem to kick the habit. If she thought about it hard enough, Kezzie had suspected for a lot longer than she wanted to admit that Oliver might have had deeper feelings for her; but love? It just hadn't crossed her mind once. Maybe there was something wrong with her, and she was just a narcissistic sociopath that was incapable of forming emotional attachments; or perhaps she just hadn't found the right person yet.

Kezzie tossed the phone onto the bedside table and turned off the light switch before curling up on her side on top of the covers to try and force herself to sleep. Things would be better tomorrow, she told herself; they had to be. 

~~~~~

Kezzie's nails dug into the skin of her palm as she finished her dissertation presentation and waited anxiously for the inevitable questions from the panel. Her palms were sweaty, she was exhausted, but when she glanced nervously around the space, she found Daniel seated at the back of the lecture hall, as promised, and everything was suddenly right with the world. 

The dean's voice brought her focus back to her current task, and she leveled her gaze on the panel and answered the dean's inane question as she tried not to give any outward show of emotion. After a few moments of quiet deliberation, the board nodded in agreement.

"Congratulations, Ms. Woolsey," the dean said. "It is my pleasure to award you a pass with distinction on your dissertation defense. Excellent work. I hope to see more papers published by you on the subject in the future. You are dismissed."

Kezzie flashed a tight smile as she nodded. "Thank you, sir." Kezzie gathered her things and left the lecture hall, determined not to bust out in a happy dance right in the middle of the hallway in case the panel followed her out. She turned as footsteps approached rapidly behind her to see Daniel jogging after her.

Daniel pulled her into a tight hug, and Kezzie grunted in surprise, her body stiffening for a moment before she relaxed and returned the gesture. "You did it," he said, pulling away to look at her face, his hands still resting on her shoulders. "I knew you would. I'm so proud of you, Kez."

Kezzie swallowed the lump in her throat as emotions overwhelmed her. She really had done it, hadn't she? The single most significant accomplishment in her thirty years on this planet, and she had no one rooting for her except her childhood idol, who didn't even know her name three months ago. Kezzie supposed it could be worse, but she couldn't help but wish her father were there too. "Thank you, Dr. Jackson. I wouldn't be here without your help."

"You did the work," Daniel said, waving away her compliment as he stepped back. "I just provided a few insights and some direction. This is your win, Kez. So, are you ready for the next step?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose," Kezzie replied. "So where are we going, anyway? Even after all the background checks and security clearance checks, no one would give me a straight answer about that."

"It's a surprise," Daniel said, winking at her. "I hope you packed warm clothing."

"Actually—" Kezzie said, color flooding her cheeks, "I haven't started packing yet. I didn't want to jinx this. It seemed presumptuous to assume I'd pass my dissertation on the first try."

"I see," Daniel said, his tone reproachful. "Well, I hope you pack quickly because the plane leaves in an hour."

"How many times do we have to go over this?" Kezzie teased, turning away from him. "I'm an army brat and ex-military myself. I can pack everything I need for a six month tour in less than thirty minutes. Although I have no idea where I'm gonna get a parka in southern California."

"I'm sure you'll manage," Daniel said, leaning his back against the exit door as he pushed it open. "See you when you get to the base."

Kezzie let out a heavy breath as Daniel disappeared through the door, letting it slam behind him. She shook her head as the magnitude of the new adventure she was about to embark on overwhelmed her. It was terrifying to still not have any idea _what_ she would be doing, other than a translation of some Ancient Latin texts. Not only that, but she had no idea _where_ she was even going to be stationed, except that it was cold, and that was enough to make her heart flutter in her chest.

"You'll be fine," Kezzie muttered under her breath as she pushed open the door and crossed the quad, heading toward her dorm room for the last time. "Everything will work itself out. It always does." 

Kezzie repeated the words in her head all the way back to her dorm, and once her door finally closed behind her, she allowed herself to break into an awkward happy dance that looked like she had morphed into an inflatable tube dancer. Once she pulled herself together, she dashed about the room, throwing everything she wanted to keep into an oversized messenger bag and suitcase and dumping everything else into a few boxes, leaving a hastily scribbled shipping address on top. 

"Here goes nothing," Kezzie murmured, taking one last look around the room as she hoisted her messenger bag onto her shoulder. She flicked the light switch off, letting the door click closed quietly behind her before straightening her shoulders and walking out of the dorm toward whatever adventure the future might hold for her.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments? Theories? Keyboard smashes? Drop it below! 🤩


End file.
